Metal-screw machine



(Model.)

H. K. JONES.

METAL SCREW MACHINE.

Patented J an. 31, 1882.

VVITNESSES rares PATENT ser@ HORACE K. JONES, OF HARTFORD, ASSIGNOR TO THE RUSSELL St ERWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

METAL-SCREW MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,949, dated January 31, 1882. Y Application flied June 29, 1881. (Model.)

I combination ofa revolvingjaw-spindle, threading-dies, and a vibrating centering and pointing tool with mechanism which places said tool into and away from the plane of the axis of the `jaw-spindle and advances and retires 2o said tool in the same plane; second, in mech` lanism for threading the Shanks of the blanks, which consists ofthe following elements: a threading-die in two parts, which, when acting upon the blank, are supported and held so as to have the practical advantage cf the accurate cut of a solid die, but which, when the blank has been threaded, are separated or opened and promptly retreated without thc loss of time incident to the ruiming ott' of a 3o solid die, a carriage upon which the two partthrea'ding-die is mounted, and which moves the die up to its work, but has a partial rearward movement independent of said die, devices located on the carriage and connected with the die, which, when the carriage moves rearward after the die has performed its work, will close the parts of the die, and mechanism for operating the carriage; third, devices located on the carriage which are capable of quickly and accurately adjusting the two parts of the die to each other, so that the gage of thread cut by the die will be determined, and can be maintained when the die becomes slightly worn.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l repre- Sents a plan otA a portion of a machine in which all my improvements are embodied, the time being taken after the blank has been pointed and while thedies are advancing'. Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of the same on line a: zr. Fig.

Ycapable of a sliding movement.

3 represents the positions of certain parts of the mechanism when the two parts of the threading-die are about to be closed, and Figs. 4 and 5 show details of construction.

' A is a portion of the frame of the machine, 55 upon which a eontinuouslyrevolvingjaw-spindle, B, ofany preferred construction is mounted.

In this spindle the blanks are clamped in the usual manner while being operated upon, the blanks being supplied to the spindle by the 6o usual feeding mechanism.

C is the cam-shaft of the machine, which is continuously driven from the spindle by means of a pinion, b, secured to the spindle, an intermediate gear, b, and a gear, c, secured to the shaft, as shown in Fig. l, or by equivalent means.

D is the pointing tool, which is in the form of an arm, and. isv secured to a rock-shaft, E,

This tool-has 7o a perforation which is preferably supplied with a bushing, d, Fig. 2, of the requisite size to receive the ends of the-blanks and support them during the pointing operation. t

Mounted in the tool D is a cutter, D` which` is clampedtherein by a screw, d', and occupies a plane in the rear of the blank-supporting portion ofthe tool, as shown in Fig. 2. Attached to the tool D and to the frame of the machine is a spring, D2, or equivalent device, 8o which tends to move the tool upward and toward the jaw-spindle, thereby rocking the shaft E, and moving it longitudinally. The action of this spring and the motions of the tool are governed through a lever, E', secured 85 to 'the rock-shaft E by cams F F', located ou the shaft C, the spring D2 holding said lever in engagement with the cams. The cam F is provided with a declining face,f, a depression, f', and a rising face, f2, the face f and de- 9o pression j" allowing the spring to move the tool upward, thereby bringing the bushing d into alignment with the blank, and the facefz moving the tool downward to the position shown in Figs. l and 2. For allowing the spring to bring the tool into engagement with the blank, after it has been aligned the cam F is provided with a depression, f3, and for moving the tool rearward and out of engagement with the blank, after it has performed roo j" on the cam.

its work the said cam is supplied with a rising face, f4, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the `pointing mechanism is as follows: A blank having been clamped in thejaw-spindle, the faeefand depression j" of cam F allow the spring D2 todepress the lever E' and move the tool upward to bringthe bushing d into alignment, the alignment being maintained by a set-screw, d2, Fig. 2, upon the tool D, or by the periphery of the depression The depression f3 in the cam F now allows the spring to move the tool and lever E longitudinally and bring the cutter into and maintain its engagement with the blank whose endis supported during the pointing operation by the bushing d. The pointing bein g completed, the face f4 on the cam F moves the lever E and tool D rearward. When the tool has cleared the blank the faeefz-on the cam F elevates the lever E and depresses the tool D to its original position. Although but one cutter, D', is shown, yet any desired number may be employed; or the cutter may he in the form of a burring or milling instrument.

Although, as shown and described,the pointing-tool is moved both in vertical and horizontal planes, yet if the pointing of the blanks is unaccompanied by a threadingr ofthe same, the tool need move only longitudinally to and fro from the jaw-spindle.

I am aware that devices have heretofore been employed for centering and pointing blanks in screw-cutting machines-as, for instance, in machines wherein the threading operation is performed by a. chaser, thepointing-tool occupies and is advanced to and withdrawn from the blank iu the line of the axis ofthe revolvingblank-holder; butsuch a pointing-tool cannotbe usedin amachine wherein open dies move to and from ablank-holder in the same plane. Also, in machines wherein dies are moved to and from the revolving blank-holder in the same plane therewith, a pointing-tool has been employed which moved to and from the plane occupied by the blank in its revolving holder in a circular path at right angles to the axis Aof the holder; but in this prior organization the pointing-tool and dies occupied an axially mounted holder common to both, so that the dies and pointer were moved to and fro in the same are of a circle; but this necessitated a movement of the dies other than was requisite for their actual operation, whiehinvolved more orlessliability of their failure to always occupy the saine exact position relatively with the prolongation ofthe axial line of the jaw-holder. Also,in machines for shavingand pointing, the

pointing-tool has been located withinthe blank-A holding jaws, which precluded the threading operation in the same machine Also, in machines wherein no pointing is done, but wherein dies and jaws are employed in the same plane, a centering device has been employed vwhich swung upward from below; but with vsuch a centering device no cutter could he employed for pointing, because the centering-tumbler moving in the are of a circle, could not apply the cutter to the blank in a line corresponding to the axis of the blank. In my machine the dies andjaws occupy the same plane and neither departs therefrom, and therefore their actual coincidence is always assured, and while this in itselfis not new it is novel to combine therewith a centering and pointing tool which of necessity must have the novel movements imparted to it as by nie-viz., the upwardswing, the advance upon the blank, the rearward movement to disengage from theV blank, and the dropping movement to retire from the path of the advancing dies.

The advancing ofthe pointer to the blank in the plane thereof by a spring, acting also so that the pointing work is performed under a yielding or spring pressure, is not a novel feature in itself; but the organization, with a pointer, of a spring which not only thus advances the pointingtool in a plane with the blank, but also brings said pointer coincident with the blank, is a novel and valuable feature, because of its efficient promptness iu operation.

The threading of the blanks is performed by dies G G, each of which is mounted in a holder, G', having its rear portion biturcated, as shown in Fig. 5. The dieholders GG are mounted on a carriage, H, which has longitudinal forward and rearward movements imparted to it by cams J K, respectively, located on the camshaft (J. These cams during their revolution engage a roller, l, upon a lever, L, which lever is pivoted at its outer end to the frame of the machine, and has a forked inner end, which engages a pin, h, upon the carriage, and thereby controls its movements, the carriage sliding in guides H upon the frame. The rear ends ofthe die-holders G are pivofed together by a pin,.g,which passes through a slot, h', in the carriage. The pin g also passes through a link, M, which is connected at its rear end to a lever, N, pivoted to the carriage, the outer end ofthe said lever projecting beyond the carriage, so that it may engage a block, O, located on the frame, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and- 3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the outer ends ot' the die-holders have flat sides g and inclined portionsg, and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a spring, g3, is located between said holders, the said spring tending to open the dies.

When the dies are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, they are reta-ined in such condition by right and left hand screws P P', which are mounted in the end of the carriage H and engage the flat sides g g of the die-holders. The heads of these screws arein the form of gears,which are engaged by pinions i' r on a shaft, It, passing through the carriage, one end of said shaft being squared or otherwise formed, so that it may be rotated. By means of the shaft R the distance apart ot' the outer ends ofthe die-holders G' G, and consequently the distance apart of the dies G G, is regulated, for by turning the shaft R the screws P Il are turned in or IIS out, and the dies are made to approach or`recede from each other. The pinion-shaft R and the gear-headed screws P P therefore afford a ready means for accurately adjusting the gage of the thread which the dies shall cut.

Open dies mounted in pivoted jaws have heretofore been rendered adjustable by means of wedge -blocks controlled by a worm and screw; but my adjusting-screws, controlled by the shaft and pinions, are much simpler and fully as effective and reliable.

rlhe leading cam J is of peculiar construction, as shown in Figs. l and 4, in that it has an adjustable face, J', which is provided with aquick rise,j, and aslow rise,j. The rise) acts upon the level-L to promptly advance the dies to engage the blanks, and the risej' moves the dies along the blank according to the pitch vof the threads to be cut when the engagement is first eifected. By having the face Jl of the leading cam J adjustable by means of a screw, jg, or equivalent, a ready and convenient means is provided for regulating the initial cut of the dies in accordance with the pitch of thread desired.

'lhe operation of threading the blank is as follows: Thejaw-spindle having been supplied with a blank, and the blank having been pointed-if a pointed blank is desired-the leverroller lis engaged by the portionjof the leading-cam face J; andthe carriage H and all the mechanism thereon are promptly advanced toward the blank by the lever L, the pin g engaging the rear end of the slot IL. When the dies G G come into engagement with the blank, the portion j of the leading-cam face moves the dies .along the blank according to the pitch of threads to be cut, the carriage and mechanism tliereon movingatthe same time and speed. When the thread has been sufficiently started to insure the continued movement ofthe dies by the lead of the threads the leading` cam passes out of engagement witlrtlie lever-roller I, and the dies and carriage continue to move forward, being drawn onward by the lead of the thread. Just before the requisite length of thread has been cut the cam K engages the lever-roller l and moves the carriage H rearward. Since the dies are in engagement with the thread and are performing their work, however, they, their holders, and the link M will not partake of this rearward movement until the backward motion of the carriage has caused lthe ends ofthe screws P P to pass oft' the sides g g ofthe die-holders and allowed the spring g3 to oprn the dies, and thereby cause them to disengage the blank. When this takes place the relative position of the carriage and parts thereon will bc as shown in Fig. 3, the pin g engaging the front end of the slot h, and the outerends of the leverN being in itsrearward position. Thedies and other mechanism on the carriage will now partake of its rearward movement until the lever N engages the block O, as shown in Fig. 3. A continued rearward movement of the carriage and parts thereon will cause the lever N through the link M to retreat the dies at a quicker speed, and bring the screws P I into engagement with the inclined portions g2 g2 on the die-holders. over which portions the screws will pass and close the dies to their original position, the screws coming into engagement witlrI the sides g g and locking the dies closed, as shown in Fig. l. The cam K now ceases to engage the lever-roller l, and the carriage and mechanism thereon remain stationary' until thejaw-spindle has been supplied with anorherblank, and the cam J again acts to produce a forward movement ofthe parts.

In prior machines embodying open jaw-dies their release has been effected by advancing on ofthe thread cut bythe dies, thereby permitting said dies to expand forreleasing themselves from the screw just. cut; but this action is graduated according to the pitch ofthe thread, whereas in my machine the carriage is promptly thrown backward at the proper moment, securing apromptness of release, which is material iu machines where rapidity in operation is au importantconsideration.

The machine shown in the drawings is adapted both to point and thread screw-blanks; but either operation alone may be performed by it.

It' it is desired only to thread the blanks, the spring D2 may be detached from the pointingtool, when the said tool will be inoperative.

Tile machine may be arranged to point and thread different lengths of blanks by adjusting the position ot' the pointing-tool upon the rock-shaft, and bya proper arrangement and adjustment ofthe threading mechanism.

Having described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

l. The combination, substantially' as hereinbefore describethwith a revolving jaw-spindle for holding screw-blanks, and threadingdies which more to and from said jaws in alignment with thespindle-axis,ofthevibrating centering and 'pointing tool, and the mechanism., substantially as described, for placing said tool into and away from the plane of the retiring said tool in said plane, as set forth.

2. The combination of arevolvingjaw-spindle adapted to hold a blank, a pointing-tool, as described, a cani for depressing said tool and moving it rearwardly, and a spring' or equivalent for lifting said tool into alignment with the axis of the jaw-spindle and bringing said tool into engagement with the blank, and -causing the tool to point the blank under'a yielding pressure, substamially as set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as dethreading-dies pi'voled thereto, but cnpableof a longitudinal movement independentlyofthe movement of the carriage, and mechanism, substantially as described, for giving a rearward movement to the carriage just before the axis of thejaw-spindle, and for advancing and p the dies beyond their holder by the draft there- IIO scribed, of a sliding carriage having a pair ot' threading of the blank is completed, so as to enable the threadng-dies t0 open and be clear ofthe threaded blank.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of a sliding carriage having a pair of threading-dies pvoted thereto, but capable of a longitudinal.movement independently ot' the movement of' the carriage, suitable mechanism tor giving a rearward movement to both tlneearriage and thethreading-dies, and means7 as described, for causiingY the threading-dies t0 be moved independently ot' the carriage, so that they may be closed and locked preparatory to the ensuing advancing` movement 0f the carriage to thread the succeeding blank.

5. The. combination of' a sliding` carriage, 1I, a pair of die-holders, G G', pivoted thereto, but capable of an independent longitudinal movement thereon7 the said holdelxs` having a HORACE K. JONES.'

Witnesses:

H. E. RUSSELL, Jr., M. S. WIARD. 

